Peoria is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, and one of the largest Illinois cities outside the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Peoria has a population of 115,000 (379,000 in the Metropolitan area). It’s metropolitan area is the third largest in Illinois, behind Chicago and the Illinois part of the St. Louis Metro area.
Peoria has long been considered iconic in the sense that it is considered a good representation of American culture in general, and Midwestern American culture in particular. It is one of the oldest cities in the Midwest, having been settled in the 1600s and incorporated in 1835. Peoria also lays claim to the first standardized automobile, the Duryea. While the automobiles would later be produced in Massachusetts, they were originally designed and produced in Peoria.
The economy of Peoria originally centered around brewing and distilling. Later, the construction of farm implements became a major part of the local economy, and remains so to this day. The largest manufacturer in Peoria is Caterpillar, Inc. Other notable employers include Archer Daniels Midland (corn processing, ethanol), Komatsu American Corporation (mining equipment), the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, RLI Corp (insurance), and Maui Jim (sunglass manufacturer).
In keeping with its reputation for being representative of America as a whole, Peoria’s education and disability statistics are all relatively close to national averages. About 17% of Peoria residents hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher, and around 18% of working age Peoria residents are saddled with a disability of one kind or another. Of those who are disabled, about half are able to find meaningful, full time employment.
For those living in Peoria who are unable to work due to a medically verifiable disability, Social Security Disability benefits such as SSDI, SSI, and Medicare often provide the best opportunity to retain some degree of solvency. While these programs are designed to help those who are disabled, qualifying for them can be difficult. In order to qualify as disabled for SSA purposes, you must be able to demonstrate that your disability completely precludes you from performing any kind of work you have done before or for which a person of your educational level could be expected to train.
If you apply for Peoria Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income and are denied (nearly 70% of applicants are denied initially), you have the right to appeal the decision. The appeals process for SSD benefits can be long, and involves multiple opportunities to present your claim, ranging from a redetermination request to an actual hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.
Apply for Peoria Social Security Disability Benefits
Even in the most obvious cases of disability, claims typically take three to six months before they are approved. Often, claims which seem obvious are denied because of the way the medical information is presented on the claim form. Those who have their claims denied can expect the appeals process to take from 6 to 18 more months (sometimes longer).
Obviously, if you are disabled, you can’t afford to wait that long to start receiving SSD benefits. You need an approval, and you need it as soon as possible.
The best way to get your claim approved is to consult a Peoria Social Security Disability attorney. A Peoria Social Security lawyer will be able to present the information your doctor provides in a way that clearly shows how your disability relates to your inability to work. Ultimately, that’s what the SSA is looking for.
If you are considering filing a SSD claim in Peoria, contact the Social Security office listed below and inform them that you intend to file. You’ll want to do this as soon as you can, because doing so establishes your protective filing date, which is later used to determine how much back pay you are owed. After you have notified the SSA of your intent to file, you can consult with a Peoria Social Security lawyer for help putting together and presenting your claim.
815 W. Pioneer Parkway
Peoria, IL 61615
(877) 319-6039
Peoria Social Security Disability Resources
Whatever else you do while applying for SSD benefits, do not stop seeing your doctor or continuing medical treatment. Many doctors are willing to work out payment arrangements if they are aware that you are out of work and uninsured, but are applying for disability. If you cannot work out something satisfactory with your doctor, contact one of the free or reduced cost medical clinics listed below.
It is critically important that you continue all medical treatment, as this information will be one of the major considerations taken into account when the SSA determines whether or not to approve your claim.
Heartland Community Health Clinic
1005 NE Jefferson Ave.
Peoria, IL 61603
(309) 680-7600
Heartland CHC- East Bluff
2321 N Wisconsin Ave.
Peoria, IL 61603
(309) 681-4606
Heartland Community Health Center at Carver
711 W John H Gwynn Jr Ave.
Peoria, IL 61605
(309) 672-5650
Your Peoria Social Security Disability Claim
When applying for Social Security Disability benefits in Peoria, it’s best to consult a lawyer first. Even if you have already filed a claim and been denied, however, a Peoria Social Security attorney can still help you with the appeals process. Often, all it takes to get your claim accepted is having someone who knows what the SSA is looking for look over your claim and present it a bit differently.
